


842

by Claudina



Category: Final Fantasy Type-0
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 23:57:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9147841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claudina/pseuds/Claudina
Summary: The new year might be arriving with a caution, but even so, they were grateful that they always had each other, for now and forever.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year, dear readers! May 2017 be a splendid year for all of us. Just a little fic to celebrate the new year with Class Zero; I hope you like it and as usual, kudos and comments are cherished dearly :) Hope you have fun reading this!

When the clock struck midnight on Cae XXX, 841, Ace was sitting alone on his bed, watching the snow fall right outside his window.

The past year had been awful for everyone, and for some reason, Ace could feel that it would be even worse in 842. Snowflakes poured outside incessantly, and against the night sky, they looked like diamonds cried by angels in heaven. Ace sat unmoving, his mind buzzing with a thousand dark thoughts, his eyes staring blankly through the snowy curtain. The fire he conjured earlier was dying down, and his room was turning colder like his heart was. He contemplated whether he should cast another spark of flame to keep his bedroom warm, but in the end, he decided against it and wrapped himself using his blanket instead, hiding away from the world in a safe and warm cocoon.

The door of his bedroom creaked open and Ace didn’t have to turn his head to know who it was. He listened to light footsteps approaching and soon enough, Queen took a seat on his bed and offered him a cup of hot cocoa she brought with her. In return, Ace unravelled his blanket fort and draped it over their shoulders, the warmth radiating from her making him feel more at ease. They sat side-by-side in silence, exchanging not a single word between them, and as the clock ticked, wasting the last seconds of 841 away, they sipped on their hot drink, hoping that its warmth would melt the cold fear in their hearts even as the earth outside turned into ice.

* * *

Seven woke up at dawn on Cae XXXI, 841. The dry winter air had scorched her throat and she decided that she would have a cup of warm water to soothe it before she went back to bed.

She clutched her night coat closer to her as she walked alone in the moonlit corridor leading towards the pantry. Behind the walls, the coldness didn’t bite sharply, but it was still crisp enough to cause Seven to shiver. She quickened her pace; the sooner she got the drink, the better.

It surprised her a little when she found that the pantry was brightly lit. She thought that someone must have forgotten to extinguish the fire, but instead of warm flames licking the air, it was Sice’s messy hair that her eyes found first.

The younger girl was brooding over a warm soup, and her mind was evidently somewhere else because she didn’t even notice Seven sliding quietly into the pantry. Only when Seven sat in front of her that Sice looked up and dropped her spoon. It fell in her bowl and sank into the soup.

Seven offered her a small smile and got the two of them warm water before sitting at the table again. Sice stirred her soup absently; neither of them said anything at first, but Seven knew that whenever Sice ate soup, it wasn’t her stomach which needed its warmth.

They sat and talked in whispers until morning arrived and all their dishes were empty. Seven put the cleaned bowl and cups away, and after they walked back towards where their rooms were, the corridors saw only one door opening and closing.

* * *

Deuce woke up to the last sunrise of 841 caressing her cheeks. From where she was sitting on her bed, she could see the pure white field outside, and for some reason, this made her want to sing a little. She slipped out of her bed and hummed some melodies as she folded her blanket. The wind outside rustled a little, as if it was harmonising with her.

She washed up and changed into her winterwear before grabbing her flute. As she walked out of her bedroom, she spotted Jack waving at her from the other side of the corridor, and she smiled. Her footsteps echoed like a drumroll as she ran up to him, as if she was welcoming herself to his arms.

Jack gave her a little hug before leading her towards the music room. The small chamber was glowing from the sunlight entering through the windows when they stepped in. Jack closed the door behind him and when Deuce hit the first note on her flute, he started to dance around her, like what they used to do when they were young. She watched him laugh and even though she felt that the next year would be terrible, one of the last smiles on her lips in 841 was a genuine one, and it was all thanks to the person who had always told her to smile even when she was sad.

* * *

Cinque was pumped for the dinner party they had planned for later; she had a thousand ideas to make things really good, and for a start, she decided that she should research about all the foods they should cook.

She met Trey in the library after lunch for the research. When she reached the place, Trey was already sitting at one table, surrounded by recipe books. Cinque took one and opened it, and immediately, her eyes were as wide as saucers. Pictures of meat, vegetables and fruits adorned the pages, and she watched in awe as the paragraphs explained about how to process the food to create beautiful, delicious dishes.

Trey was starting his seventh book of recipes when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned and looked right into Cinque’s eyes, and he was about to tell her that he was taking notes about how to cook a perfect behemoth meat pie when Cinque quickly cut him off, saying that she had a better idea than the recipes they had been reading up on.

The stacks of parchment containing Trey’s research were left alone on the table when they exited the library. The only piece of note they brought with them contained only a few rows of words, and all of them were the names of foods Mother cooked for them when they were little.

* * *

Cater hadn’t planned to sleep her day away, but the nap she took after lunch extended right into the golden hour, and when she woke up, the sun was already setting, marking the end of the last day of 841.

She jumped off her bed almost screaming. She was supposed to be helping the others cook for their little dinner party, and she was now late because she fell asleep. She felt ashamed; had Ace unwittingly infected her with his narcolepsy? Of all the things she could catch, it was his tendency to sleep like a log which she contracted, and this made Cater quite frustrated. She made a rush towards the kitchen and when she was about to enter, she almost collided with Eight, who was carrying a basket full of apples.

Cater almost wanted to yell but Eight quickly stammered, explaining that he, too, was late because he was searching for some apples. Finding a tree with fruits during winter was nigh impossible, but apparently, he had found some magic-doused trees near the clearing, and even when the other plants died, these trees were decorated with fruits. Like he always did, he then climbed on the trees and picked the apples for their dinner party.

Cater couldn’t help but smile. She grabbed the other side of his wicker basket and carried it into the kitchen. The place was already alive with the sound of pots and pans and chatters; the kids roamed around, some searching for utensils, some cutting up food, some others stirring their food. Cater picked a knife up and started slicing the apples. Later, the pie they were cooked into was the sweetest thing she ate at the dinner party.

* * *

King sipped on hot cider after the dinner ended. They were spending the last minutes of 841 sitting around the fireplace with scarves and blankets strewn on the floor and all over them. Mugs upon mugs of ciders sat on the coffee table, and a plate of spiced cookies had been placed in the middle of the rug, enticing cheeky fingers to grab them away.

As he sat on the armchair, King watched the others laugh and sing some winter songs. The clock on the fireplace told them that there were only few minutes left before the new year began, and all of them scrambled closer to each other, making a semi-circle around the fire, readying themselves to make the countdown.

King sat beside Nine, who was munching on a cookie and laughing at a joke someone else was telling. The older boy took a stray scarf off the floor and wrapped it around the two of them. He watched intently as the clock crawled closer to midnight.

It was when 841 slipped away into the past that all of them erupted in cheers, though it lasted only for a fleeting moment as their voices quickly hushed down when their lips found their lovers’ in gratitude, thanking heavens that through forever and everything, they always had each other by their side. King thought of how the snowy world outside might turn into ashes soon when the nations let the fire out, but at this moment, all that he could feel was the fire on his lips and heart, and when he closed his eyes, it was a vision of heaven which he viewed.

 

 _Another year will dim divine,_  
_We’ll play it back in slow rewind,  
_ _And laugh about the cold and bitter nights._

 _We’ll route our way on maps of stars,_  
_Hold on tight to fragile hearts,  
_ _And keep our friends forever by our side._

**Author's Note:**

> The lyrics quoted at the end are from Pentatonix's song, New Year's Day. This is one beautiful, beautiful song to welcome the new year with, and I highly recommend it to everyone, even if you're not into a cappella.


End file.
